As described by Florian Mueller at Foss Patents, two of the patents are "FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory)-pledged" that Samsung maintains are essential to industry standards. Five of the patents were originally applied for by Samsung, while the other three were bought from Hitachi and other sources.

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Mueller isn't exactly surprised that Samsung retaliated this way to Apple's February suit, explaining that the company keeps battling even though its patent claims against Apple haven't been successful.

But what is surprising is that Samsung is pushing the envelope in the midst of an ongoing antitrust probe by the European Union, which is investigating whether Samsung is abusing its patent power and not honoring its promise to abide by FRAND terms.

Samsung's action also comes amidst reports that it may be trying to make peace with Apple through an out-of-court settlement. If true, then Samsung's new claims will seemingly make such a settlement more difficult to achieve.

About the author

Journalist, software trainer, and Web developer Lance Whitney writes columns and reviews for CNET, Computer Shopper, Microsoft TechNet, and other technology sites. His first book, "Windows 8 Five Minutes at a Time," was published by Wiley & Sons in November 2012.
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